More than 330,000 people have been evacuated due to wildfires raging across France and Spain, with France the worst affected [1, 2, 3].
In France, about 98,000 hectares have burned since the start of 2026. The Gironde region alone has seen 42,000 hectares consumed by fire, forcing the evacuation of about 63,000 people from the Cap Ferret peninsula, many of whom were rescued by boat [3, 4, 5]. French firefighters deployed roughly 2,500 personnel, along with 1,500 military and 1,200 police, to tackle the massive blazes near Gironde [4]. Local mayor Jerome Steffe called it "the fire of the century" [6]. The fires have generated rare pyrocumulonimbus thunderstorms, which produce their own winds and lightning, worsening fire spread [7, 4].
French President Emmanuel Macron mobilized the military, called for EU firefighting assistance, and pledged to "rebuild" and "be there for as long as is needed" for those affected [1, 7]. Authorities attributed most blazes to human causes, including carelessness and some deliberate ignitions, making 162 arrests since July 6 [6]. The fires destroyed hundreds of homes in France, with about 50 completely lost near Saumos, close to Cap Ferret [5].
In Spain, the government declared a national emergency on July 23 due to multiple wildfires mainly west of Madrid and in Avila province [2, 8]. By late July, at least 30,000 people were evacuated from Madrid and Avila, with some 20,000 placed under lockdown or ordered to remain indoors [2, 3, 8]. The fires burned around 6,000 hectares in Madrid and 9,000 in Avila [2]. Madrid regional president Isabel Díaz Ayuso called it the "worst fire in the history of the region" [2]. Emergency chief Carlos Novillo said the wildfires are "at their peak and currently beyond the capacity of firefighters to contain" [2].
The Military Emergency Unit (UME) was deployed to assist firefighting near Madrid, Avila, and Valencia. One man died in a fire in Valencia [2, 9]. Residents described thick smoke and overwhelming fire conditions; evacuee Joseph Cobos recalled, "The smoke was incredibly thick. You couldn’t breathe" [10].
A large wildfire started in Guadalajara province, Spain, on July 16, burning 32,000 hectares [8]. On July 24, Madrid fires merged into a single large blaze, forcing evacuations and lockdowns [2]. That same day, French authorities ordered full evacuation of Cap Ferret [1].
Since August 1, fires approached Bordeaux, reaching within 15 kilometers of the city. Mayor preparations for possible evacuation were underway [7]. On August 5, President Macron held a crisis meeting as a heatwave threatened to worsen conditions near Bordeaux [7].
